


Comforting Shadows

by Doodledore



Series: Shadows and School [1]
Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Americanized sorta, Consensual Underage Sex, Cousin Incest, F/F, F/M, Incest, M/M, Multi, NO rape, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Torture, mainly around the beach episode, mostly its implied, only talking about it vaguely
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-02-07 06:19:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12835092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doodledore/pseuds/Doodledore
Summary: Matilda Montgomery has been through hell in her short life. In order to heal, she travels to Japan to stay with her friend and pen-pal Umehito Nekozawa. Follow her as she adjusts to being a part of the supernatural world and a part of the host club?





	1. Coming to Japan

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own OHSHC or any of its characters or plots. 
> 
> This fic will include swearing, violence, magic, past rape/non-con, assault, past torture, underage relationships (with people the same age, +/- a year). More may be added later, but will be tagged.
> 
> This story will be a combination of the anime and manga. Unless otherwise stated, assume the characters are speaking Japanese, as this takes place in Japan. Despite this, everything is written in English and honorifics won't be used in Matilda's POV except for dialog. 
> 
> However, I don't know enough about Japan and Japanese culture, so this will be somewhat Americanized.
> 
> Main character is technically a self-insert OC, but a version of me that lines up with my nightmares and the existence of magical beings. 
> 
> I decided that this fic takes place in a parallel universe where things don't match up 100%. 'Pineapple' tech is everywhere, its 2004, supernatural creatures exist and have their own secret society within ours.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matilda takes the long trip from America to Japan. Umehito gives her some disturbing news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Census_Regions_and_Division_of_the_United_States.svg  
> Here is what I used to determine where the plane is. A flight calculator had the plane going from Boston to a little above San Francisco, which takes about 6 hours.  
> The whole flight took 14 hours, with a 14 hour time difference (13 hours during daylight savings). Leaving Friday afternoon from Boston, a nonstop flight will land around 6 pm Saturday night in Tokyo.

**Friday, December 3, 2004 2:30 PM EST**  

_Matilda's POV_

Planes are weird.

Sure, I’ve flown before for a family vacation, but those planes were small, cramped, commercial things that were only traveling down the East Coast.

This monster was huge, spacious, and frankly wasteful.

Umehito had sent over a few servants, including a lady’s maid and a bodyguard, with his family’s private jet to help me move my things. Though I had spent most of the previous week packing up my bedroom, the servants moved most of the boxes for me, ensuring they ended up in the cargo area of the plane and would be bring them to my new residence once they were cleared by customs.

I had been left with just my purse while Mika, the lady’s maid, and the bodyguard, Tesuo, handled the carry-on bags that would be traveling with me to Umehito’s home. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of having servants with my upbringing, but I understood why they were here. Logically speaking, when you have the money but had more important things to deal with then cleaning… But as long as they were treated well and properly paid, there really wasn’t much to dispute. And really, the two that would be with me the most seemed kind and didn’t set off any alarm bells.

Still… moving…

Leaving home for the other side of the globe was a tough decision, especially with how it affects my family. They’ll be half a day behind me, so it’ll be difficult to talk often. But we can all heal this way. Me especially. And while she doesn’t like the idea, Mom understands; she’s always put the health and happiness of her children first. I wasn’t getting any better constantly surrounded by people and places filled with hidden nightmares and bad memories.

So here I am, on a plane moving away from the only home I’ve ever known. I’d never tell her or the rest of my family, but the biggest part of me is relieved.

I know they’ll be taken care of: I bought a house before I made this decision, so I know they’ll always have a place to live. And I hired someone to cook and clean since Mom and Dad can’t always do so with their disabilities.

My family will be fine without me.

And I’m better off without them, for now at least. Yes, I’ll heal better, but more importantly I won’t have to hide in my own damn house. I won’t have to deal with seeing my loved ones’ recoil at my appearance while trying (and unknowingly failing) to hide it. Now I can be myself; the emancipation only helps that too.

“Miss?”

Startled out of my thoughts, I look at Mika.

“Miss, we've taken off, you're free to move around now. Would you like any refreshments?” She asked in Japanese.

Thinking it over quickly, I replied in the same language, “Um, some tea and a bread roll, please. Thank you.”

Not what I usually eat in the middle of the afternoon, but in order to adjust better, I'm eating what I would be in the new time zone. On school days, I wake up around 5 and have tea or chocolate milk with some bread or toast to get me though my stretches, meditation, and preparing for the day. A full breakfast comes before I leave for school, so I have the energy for most of my pre-lunch classes. Damn fast metabolism.

Stuck in my thoughts, I only partially registered her as she bowed and went to get what I requested.

Luckily, the flight was nonstop, but it’s still going to take about 14 hours. Unfortunately, so I could go to bed at a normal time in the new time zone, it was best that I only take a small nap. While I've been slowly waking up later over the past week to help with the adjustment, I know I’ll be exhausted by bedtime. Between this morning, the flight, and the drive to the house, I would be awake for at least 24 hours, possible nap not included.

Pulling me out of my thoughts once more, Mika walked over and gave me my wake-up snacks. “If you'd like to change your watch now, it is currently 4:42 am at our destination.”

“Thank you, Mika. In case I forget, would you bring me some toast, fruit, and more tea in 2 hours? I'm going to stretch and meditate before settling down to read.”

“I will see to it. Please enjoy yourself.” With a quick bow, she walked off to the stewardess's area.

Saying a quick prayer over my tea, I start sipping it slowly. I usually try use this time to plan for my day (so I don't worry about it while meditating) but I'm really just going to be relaxing for the whole flight. For the next 6 hours we'll be flying over the U.S., but after that it's all water until we reach Japan. All I really need to do in that time is stay awake and stretch frequently.

Picking at the bread roll, I slowly eat it and finish my tea while looking out the window. The sky seems so much larger up here.

Finished, a glance at my watch tells me it is 5:30 AM: time to start my stretches. Pulling myself away from the view of the southern part of the Midwest, probably Ohio or Indiana, I get started.

Standing, I go through my stretches, loosening everything up once more. Once finished, I sit down and get comfortable enough to meditate.

The world slowly fell away from me as I relaxed, focusing on my inner self: my memory warehouse. I had learned of this concept from one of my favorite Stephen King movies and found it particularly useful compared to other methods. My warehouse was like a library; there was even an intake at the entrance, which contained unorganized thoughts. I picked up the 'night's' batch and began to shelve them properly.

Once that was done, I headed to the back rooms, specifically the one I used to balance myself magically. This room was my favorite. It contained the 7 elements of my practice: light, shadow, fire, water, air, earth, and energy/spirit. In this place, spirit was my mental picture of myself.

I walked over to the image of a 7-pointed star that was on the grass in the middle of the room and sat in its center. Letting the elements flow through and around me, I focused on balancing the amounts in my ‘body’ and letting any excess flow out of me. Once balanced, I walked out of that room, headed to intake, and slowly became aware of my surroundings again.

Looking around, I noticed a bottle of water on the table that Mika must have left for me. Grabbing it and taking a few sips, I looked for the time. Seeing that it was only 6:15, I pulled out my Japanese copy of _Order of the Phoenix_ and got comfortable.

What seemed like a minute later, Mika brought me my breakfast, which consisted of an orange, eggs over rice, and a bowl of vegetable soup. Not something I would normally eat for breakfast, but it is a fairly normal breakfast in Japan. Surprisingly, the three foods went well together, even though the soup functioned as a drink.

Once I finished my second breakfast, I went back to reading. The remainder of the flight was spent reading, except for my stretching breaks and lunch around 12:30.

“Miss?” Mika interrupts, standing a few feet away. “You need to buckle in, we'll be landing shortly.”

Nodding, “Okay, thank you for telling me.”

With that I sat up and buckled into my seat while Mika walked to her seat to do the same. Looking out the window, I was surprised to see we were over land again. I'm glad I decided to read, time past by so fast I forgot to take my nap.

As we landed and deplaned, I was relieved. I only had to go through immigration with my carry-on bag, while the servants took care of the rest. Thanks to Umehito's preparation, all my paperwork was in order and it only took 15 minutes to reach the Arrival Lobby where he and his personal valet were waiting.

Only then did panic hit me like a train.

 _'Oh shit, what do I do?'_  

I can say without a shadow of a doubt, pun intended, that Umehito is my best friend. Of course, that’s probably because he’s the only person I’ve actually considered a friend and not just a schoolmate/acquaintance. He and I have grown close over the years, but other than his visit while I was in the hospital, we’ve never met in person.

Of course, this would be when I actually understand Mom’s feelings, even with my gifts.

 _'But then again, all my instincts tell me I can trust him. And they've never been wrong before.'_  

Not listening to my instincts got me into this mess, so listening to them is my best bet.

Realizing he hasn’t noticed me yet, I subtlety looking him over. He's just as nervous as I am, if not more so. Not to mention uncomfortable without his robe and just a black hoodie to shield himself from the harsh lights. Thankfully, the sun should have set before he left to travel here.

Taking a deep breath, I walk closer to him, letting him see me for the first time in months. After giving a short bow and greeting, I smile, glad to finally be here. 

“Maeve! I'm so glad you made it safely.”

Surprisingly, he opens his arms and steps forward for a hug.

Stepping into it, I couldn't help but relax.

“Me too. I'm happy that I'm finally here.”

We both stepped away: not entirely comfortable with such an obvious display of affection in public, even with airports having a reputation for them.

“Why don't we get something to eat now. Do you have a preference?”

“Not particularly, just somethings fast. The flight was long and I'm sure neither of us want to stay here longer than we have to.”

He nodded, “Why don’t we get some ramen then. It’s quick and will warm you up before we head to the car.”

“That’s sounds great.”

With that, we locate one of the ramen shops in the airport. Umehito ordered for both of us, and we slurped them down.

Once finished, we walked to the limo for the long drive to the Nekozawa Estate. It was a fairly comfortable vehicle, as expected of the ridiculously rich.

“Hopefully you can get a good night’s rest; we have a busy day tomorrow. In the morning we’ll go see your house, so you can decide how you want it furnished. Then we have a Clan meeting that night.”

Confused, I tear my gaze from our surrounding to face Ume, “We? Why am I going to a meeting with your clan?”

Nervously, he answered, “Technically, you’re a part of it now.”

At my startled look, he continued in a rushed, panicky manner, clearly afraid of upsetting me.

“Back when I visited you in the hospital, I made an oath to serve you: I promised to do everything I could to help you and keep you safe and happy.

“These oaths are very serious here, it’s part of the reason why my parents agreed to help you as much as we have. Now that we’re going to be near one another on a regular basis, I can redo the oath properly. But the exact details and phrasing, depends on if my Clan approves of you.”

_‘Well, that explains why this was so easy.’_

Wanting more information and a little pissed, I asked, “What do you mean?”

He took a deep breath as if to steel himself for an unpleasant conversation.

“My oath from before, while informal, is still binding. Nothing the others say will keep me from carrying it out, but I can give you more, should my Clan accept you. However, I would prefer to do things the right way. There is a ritual that formalizes things: we both discuss what we want out of this, agree on terms, and a magically backed bond is formed. Should we do this, we would be tying us together in such a way that my position in many groups, including my Clan, are mirrored/given to you. Because of our friendship and your tutelage, I am the most magically strong member of our family: I’m next in line to lead the Clan.

“As such, they want to meet you beforehand to see to if you are as strong and worthy as I see you. They, hopefully, will and you’ll take my place, or they may lower my position first, or any other number of things.”

I’m not sure I’m processing this right, because it’s sounds like Umehito just made himself my servant.  _Not_  something I want.

“What?” I asked in shock.

Unsure exactly what I was asking, he started to clarify everything, which is what I wanted anyway.

“The Nekozawa Clan doesn’t have a strictly patriarchal progression, although those from the main line have better chances. The successor is chosen based on three things. In order of importance: Magical Power, Political and Monetary standing, and skill with a weapon. The main line has been Water Fairies since the beginning: magic is our main form of defense. But physical methods are still wanted even with our alliances. The higher your political and/or monetary standing, the more you can benefit the Clan as a whole.

“Now, you know I’m part of the main line, right?”

I nod. He mentioned some of this after I got my inheritance, but we focused more on the big players I might interact with after the move.

“The main line currently has the highest standing and my mother has trained me in swordsmanship for years. With your input and creativity, I’ve been labeled the most ‘powerful’ magically in generations.

“But even still, you are stronger than me magically and many would argue physically and mentally as well. Not to mention the wealth you’ve managed to accumulate in a few short months. While I’m not suggesting that we do, the others would consider you a blessing to the Clan if we married. I see no real reason why you shouldn’t be welcomed.

“I think that my oath raises both of us, but I know that view isn’t shared by all. Some members, my uncle in particular, don’t have the best views and values. He believes that, especially due to my standing, no woman or foreigner should be stronger than me in any way. With you being both, he wouldn’t accept anything other than you as my lesser. My oath negates that possibility.”

Looking back out the window to think, I go over what he’s said. He may have said he’s not suggesting it, but I can’t help thinking this would be easier if this all happened a few years from now…

I sighed, “You know I didn’t come here for this. I have no intention of causing chaos within your clan, nor taking it over. And I definitely didn’t come here to make you my servant.”

He gave me that creepy small smile of his, clearly amused and expecting that exact response.

“I know. My parents may not know you as well as I do, but they are aware that you don’t want that kind of power. Father was there when I made my oath after all, he actually hoped to see this conversation knowing you wouldn’t be pleased. But to me, that’s all the more reason for it: you won’t take undue advantage.

“Once the meeting is over, we can discuss the particulars and complete the ritual. Afterwards, I’ll deal with the Clan or just the Current Head to tell them only the details they need to know. After that, it really isn’t their business.”

That, unfortunately, convinced me to accept this. It's what Umehito wants, and as long as it doesn’t hurt him, I can deal with it. But thinking about his Clan…

I lean forward as much as I can with my seatbelt still functional, “Alright, I’m in. I’m guessing that I’m going to have to prove myself to them in some big way?”

Sensing my reluctance and determination, he nodded, “Yes. I know you hate posturing, but if you do it right, you should only have to do that once or twice.

“Normally, someone wanting to join the Clan would have to do some sort of demonstration: Mother defeated Father in a battle of blades before their engagement was officialized. But knowing my Uncle and his feelings on this, he’ll probably throw down an ultimatum-like challenge.

“If that happens, it would probably be best if you finished things quickly. It’s up to you how you do it, but I suggest either not holding back and completely annihilating him or taking a simple but ‘weak’ approach and outsmarting him. Either way, it will silence them all and show them you don’t care for their games.

“After that, they’ll give their opinions and likely finalize the debutante ball for you.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course, these people would go from hating me one minute, to celebrating me the next, if only for their own benefit. And the mention of  _the_  ball and not  _a_  ball didn’t escape my attention.

Surprisingly, that discussion took the whole three-hour trip. We stopped without me even noticing, so I let it go for now.

Mika opened the door for me and I stepped out, only to stare at the mansion before me. It was a Gothic four-story building, something unexpected for a Japanese home. Still, it fit his family, and Umehito  _is_  part Russian. He stepped out after me and led me up the front steps, where another maid held open the door.

The inside was beautiful, if a bit dark, but I loved it. I was supposed to meet with Ume's parents when we arrived, but a maid said they were out.

Ume shrugged, not really bothered or surprised and lead me upstairs. Apparently, they gave me the room right next to his. After the trip and intense conversations, I was exhausted and barely registered any details. I went straight to the bathroom for a quick shower, before putting on a nightgown and going to bed.

I could deal with everything else tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title was inspired by the movie Coming to America with Eddie Murphy.


	2. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matilda faces a her first day in Japan. She meets Umehito's parents, tours her new house, and faces the Nekozawa Clan!

**Sunday, December 5, 2004**

Waking up, I was a little disoriented. I wasn't entirely sure where I was or what woke me. Hearing a knock on the door, I figured that was what had startled me awake.

Sitting up and rubbing the sleepies out of my eyes, I heard, “Miss? It is time to wake for the day. You have much to do.”

_‘Oh right. I have a lady’s maid now. Guess she also does wake up calls.’_

Rolling out of bed and opening the door was apparently invitation enough for Mika to walk right in. I guess it’s the norm for servants to help rich people get ready for the day? Maybe I can negotiate that once I'm moved into my place.

She went over to my suitcase and started looking for an outfit that was suitable for the day.

“It matters little what you wear this morning as you will be visiting your house and running errands, but there will be an outfit waiting for you to change into once you return for the Clan meeting.”

I’m not fond of wearing multiple outfits in a day, but I understood the logic of it. It was a little silly to dress up for potentially messy things where one would want comfort. At the same time, you don’t dress down for a formal occasion. While I don’t really need their approval, Umehito wants it for me. I would only be making a fool of us both if I don’t look presentable for these fools.

Mika chose black fleece leggings and a green long-sleeved, knee-length dress for me to wear. Once I used the facilities and changed, she helped pin my hair out of my face and put on minimal makeup. Once done, she led the way to the dining room for breakfast.

On the way there, I began thinking. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this, let alone grow to like it. Sure, a second pair of hands and a second opinion on clothes is helpful and can make it easier to face a busy day. But I  _like_  my independence. I guess as long as she doesn’t try to dress me herself, we should be okay.

Thankfully Umehito met us in the hall, dragging me out of my head and making sure I wouldn't have to meet his parents alone.

His parents were already seated when we arrived, while his sister was absent, probably still asleep.

Umehito greeted his parents before turning to introduce me. “Maeve, you've met my father, Kazuo. This is my mother, Kira. Mother, I'd like you to meet Matilda.”

Umehito was only partially right with his introduction, not that it really mattered. I’ve talked to both of them a few times over the years, but if you only consider physical meetings he’s right. But at least meeting them explained his heritage and wingless form; his father was a Water Fairy while his mother was a Sea Elf. 

But you would think that Kira would be a little less hostile and doubtful of me than what I was seeing. With times like this, I'm really glad I managed to turn my empathy visual. If I felt her emotions instead of seeing them, things could get ugly.

I bowed respectfully, before taking my seat.

Once we were all served and began our meal, Ume's father started a conversation that I thought was a little too tense for breakfast.

“Welcome Matilda, you seem to be doing a lot better since I last saw you.”

I nodded once, “Yes, all my injuries healed well.”

“I'm glad. Although I was mainly referring to you change in status,” he said with hidden amusement, seemingly aware of his wife's displeasure.

“You've managed to gain millions, raising you out of poverty. Not to mention gaining the loyalty of my son.”

Umehito frowned at his father, “She had my loyalty long ago.”

He waved off his son's words, “Yes, yes. But only now has she learned the lengths of that loyalty. She's soon to be officially part of our family, although I would have preferred her to be your wife.”

While his words were a bit embarrassing, I appreciated his support. And while I wouldn't tell him as much, I agreed. I may not have romantic love for Ume, but I did love him. Like we discussed weeks ago, things would have been different if we were a little older. Sensing the differing opinions in the adults before me, I just sat quietly, eating my breakfast with amusement.

Umehito's mother looked at her husband with a raised brow, “You seem awfully sure of her position.”

Ume sighed, exasperated. It seems like this isn’t the first time he’s had this discussion.

“She's magically strong and increased her financial and social standing in just a few months, that alone deserves their respect. Her legal maneuverings should add to it.”

“She's weak and lacks loyalty,” she replied. “She left one family and ruined the other, especially her father.”

Later on, I would realize that this was likely a ploy, a test, to see if I was really worth it. She knew a fair amount second hand, but any overprotective mother would want to be sure before everything was said and done. And it didn’t help that I basically broke her son’s heart.

But at that moment, I only felt angry and insulted. It was _way_ too early in the morning for this shit.

“That man was never my father,” I said, my voice cold and detached, distracted with the effort to keep my magic under control. Really, she should know better.

“At  _most_ , he was a sperm donor. No real parent could possibly do such things to their child. His wife and daughter  _never_  cared for me, despite pretending otherwise. I was a hopeful fool for ignoring my instincts regarding them, I'll admit. Yet that only shows how unlike a family they were towards me. Their ruin was a product of their own actions or lack thereof. Nothing more.”

Taking a calming breath, I continued, “As for my real family, they understand that our time apart is best for us all. Children go on foreign exchange trips all the time, mine is just a bit longer than most.”

She sneered, “I see you don't deny being weak.”

I mentally rolled my eyes, “We all have faults and make mistakes, but that does not equate to weakness. If you think me weak despite knowing what I've been through, nothing I say will change your mind.”

Looking down to finish my meal, I missed the looks Ume's parents sent each other. I hoped no one detected the lie within that. I knew one thing that might change her mind, but I wasn't about to implicate myself just to prove Kira wrong. All my actions since the attack have been to help my mother, emotionally and financially, before helping myself. Honestly, other than the pleasure of ruining that vile man, the only thing I did for myself was move here. And even that will help my mom heal as well.

Thankfully, things stayed quiet after that. Umehito finished his meal soon after I did, so we said polite goodbyes before leaving to go view the house Umehito got me.

* * *

Sitting in the car, I wondered if I'd get used to limos or whatever this technically was. It was a little unnerving not being able to see the driver or out the front windshield all the time. But I suppose that’s just my paranoia. It’s not as if my view was entirely blocked either. Although it was a little cool that you can look out the back windshield, depending on where you sat, and there were a lot of buttons.

Now that I was somewhat calm, I thought over what just happened.

With a groan, I asked, “Your mother just totally played me, didn't she?”

He shrugged, “Probably, she's been reluctant to accept that I made this oath, especially since she hadn't met you. She wanted to see what kind of person you were for herself.”

I could understand that, moms are usually protective of their children. Mine was reluctant to let me come here, it makes sense that his would be upset: he did bind himself to someone he only met once.

I just hope she doesn’t hate me too much. If tonight goes well, I'll be spending a lot of time around Ume, at least for the next year.

Just then my cell phone beeps. Taking it out, I see my mom replied to my message.

_Glad you made it safely, hope you slept well. Call or text me when you're up?_

Looking at Ume, I convey what it said. “I'm going to call her real quick, is that all right?”

He nods, “Yeah we still have about 20 minutes until we get there.”

Cool, that gives me enough time to talk to her and an excuse to keep it short. Hitting her speed dial, it rings a few times before she picks up.

_“Matilda! How are you sweetie?”_

Switching back to English for this conversation, “I'm alright Mom. The flight was long, but I spent most of it reading.”

_“You sleep well? I know you passed out right after texting me.”_

“Yeah, I slept alright, would have been better if I hadn't had to get up so early, but we have a lot to do today.”

_“Oh? Anything fun?”_

I shrugged, despite her being unable to see it. “Sorta? We're on the way to see the house Ume arranged for me to stay at when I'm not visiting him. Then we have to look for some furniture and what not. Mostly a day of errands.”

_“That doesn't sound too bad. But I'll leave you to it. Let me know how it is when you're done, okay?”_

“I will, but it might not be until tomorrow, depending on how exhausted I am when we’re done. Give a hug to everyone for me?”

_“Of course, I love you hon.”_

“Love you too, Mom. Later.”

_“Later.”_

Thankfully, it was a quick conversation. Just in time too.

The driver pulled into a long driveway that ended with a circle. I think it was technically a cul-de-sac or something. When he opened the door, I stepped out and saw the house for the first time, I couldn't believe my eyes.

“Ume… this is not a house.”

He frowned as he stepped out next to me. “Yes, it is.”

“No. This is a mansion… or a small castle.” But I suppose, if you live in huge places your whole life, you would consider a four-story mansion a small house.

“Do you like it?” he asked, worried from my reaction.

I sigh before giving him a smile.

“Yeah, I do.”

And I did. Despite its size and its extravagance, it was perfect. It was a perfect mix of Western Gothic and Traditional Japanese, inside and out. And what kid doesn’t dream of being rich and famous, living lavishly, at least once in their life.

It was huge, arguably too huge, as I could never use all the rooms. Ume gave me a short tour, mostly telling me what was on each floor and only showing the highlights.

The ground level was mainly for public viewing; the center, north, and south wings contained a large entrance hall, a ballroom, formal dining room and other such things. The east wing held the live-in servants' quarters as well as the laundry room and what not. While the west wing contained the family dining room, the kitchens, and the secret entrances to the hidden underground tunnels.

The tunnels were interesting. Apparently, they had hidden nooks all throughout, but the highlights were the combat areas (warded to prevent accidents and cave-ins), a shooting range, and a small water pool that was filled by a heated spring.

The second floor was similar to the first in that the closer to the center you were, the more public the area. There were offices, studies, game rooms, meditation rooms, an exercise room, the list went on.

The third floor was simpler, it was divided into four wings of bedrooms and suites. One wing was for guests, usually those that stayed to late at a party and couldn't get home safely. Two wings, the north and south, were for frequent guests of the family: the north for the children's guests, and the south for the adults. The east wing was for family, and was mostly comprised of suites, including the two Master suites. But we would get back to that after seeing the final floor.

The fourth floor was probably my favorite. I know my Mom would kill to come here if she knew that half of the floor was a library. It had a good supply of books but was just waiting to be filled with mine. There were also a few more mediation rooms, ones to be used by the family, unlike the others. I also spotted a few rooms that would be perfect for crafts, both magical and not.

Ume had to practically drag me away from that floor. He still had to show me my suite after all.

Like several other rooms, my suite had been striped clean, so I could decorate it to my liking. It was the Master that was usually reserved for the Mother of the house. The main door, Western in style, opened to a common or sitting room. I would have to pick out some chairs, maybe a loveseat, and I hoped I could get an electric or gas fireplace, it would look great. The back wall was all traditional Japanese sliding doors. It opened to a large, empty space with a door on either side. This was clearly supposed to be the bedroom, and whatever bed I got would fit perfectly between the two large windows. The left side door led to a huge walk-in closet, full of shelves and draws I would need to fill. The right-side door led to a bathroom… sorta. Inside was similar to the bedroom: a door on the left and right, but there was a third next to a built-in vanity. The right door led to the toilet, which was usually separate like this in Japan. The left led to the separate shower and bath, but also had a small sauna. Apparently the third door led to the other Master suite, which was a mirror image of mine.

Once I was finished looking around and planning what I would need to get, I turned to Ume.

“Which room is yours?”

A little embarrassed, he shrugged. “I figured I'd get a room in the South Wing.”

I snorted, “Don't be silly. You belong in the family wing.”

Shocked at the intensity and speed of my reaction and a little playful, “I a _m_  your servant, technically I'd be downstairs.”

I leveled him a flat look. “You were my friend first, so I would understand the South Wing. But I've considered you family for a while. You belong here. Besides, I'd feel better knowing someone I trusted was on the other side of that adjoining door.”

“That's for your spouse.”

I could tell he was shocked and a little upset, but I wasn't going to budge on this. “Then when I get one you can choose a different room. But for now, I'd feel better knowing you were close, and no one could accidentally walk in on me. Or worse, do it on purpose.”

Luckily for him, he accepted that, and we spent some time figuring out a general plan for the other bare rooms. Once finished, I was dragged to several boutiques to be measured and pick out some formal outfits. It was a pain and ridiculous, but at least I was using money instead of further damaging economies.

* * *

Upon returning to the Nekozawa Estate, Mika rushed me upstairs. Apparently, some people were on their way, even though the meeting didn’t start for another 2 hours. I needed to be presentable by then in both of my forms.

In my human form, I was to wear a kimono that was a deep purple with navy blue accents. My hair was tied into a ponytail/bun that was more of a puff due to its length. I was given light makeup that flattered my face but didn't stand out.

My Fairy form was more Western and personalized. The dress was ankle length with long sleeves, the top half of the back was open in a diamond shape, leaving space for my wings. The dress had two layers: one was opaque emerald silk from the knees up, covering my chest, while the second was a layer on top of that of black lace that covered my arms and legs. It showed off my wings, which were black with iridescent purple, blue, and green accents. My makeup was more dramatic in this form: accentuating my cheekbones, silver-black smoky eyes, and a dark red lipstick. My hair was free, waving down and just brushing my shoulders while a headband of vines and small silver roses kept it out of my face.

I was to go down in my human form, and only transform if challenged. And while I was anticipating a challenged, I had no real plan to reveal my other side yet. I’d rather keep the specifics of my subspecies a secret as long as I could: if they didn’t already know, they could wait a while longer. I don't need to be in that form to use the abilities that came with it. Plus, my magic from being a witch was stronger, as I was more experienced with it.

But we will see how things play out.

Unbelievably, getting ready actually took 2 hours, and it was time to face Umehito's Clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I lied. She only got ready to meet the Clan. The meeting is in the next chapter, I promise.


	3. Diplomacy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matilda meets the Nekozawa Clan and makes an oath.

Admittedly, I was nervous. There were a lot of people downstairs.

I’ve always hated crowds; a trait that only worsened after my inheritance. And after years of being ignored, I thrive in the shadows.

It’s no wonder I hate situations like this.

Not that I would say it unprompted, but I also found it ridiculous. Yes, I did understand why a clan would want to meet and screen people before letting them in. But the shit I’ve heard about this group isn’t encouraging them to me. If I have to tell one more person that I don’t want their money or power or whatever...

If I really want something, I’ll get it myself, one way or another. I take help and advice, but I don’t steal. At least not from those that don’t deserve my wrath.

Not that half the people here believe that.

The meeting had started quietly, with Umehito introducing me and stating why he believed I should be accepted. His parents stood behind him in both senses of the phrase, while his sister was too young to attend and was stuck in her quarters. His explanation was thorough, although I wondered if anyone else noticed that he didn’t specify what type of Fairy I was. Maybe I was right in thinking his immediate family had kept that information to themselves. Omission aside, he told them everything they needed to know.

Of course, chaos erupted when he finished.

Most of the Clan Members didn’t seem to care what happened and just wanted the meeting to end, not that I blamed them. Others agreed with Ume, thinking that I was more of an asset than a risk. Unfortunately, the loudest were those agreeing with Ume’s Uncle Manzo.

He insisted I was a disgrace and unworthy of their presence. Then again, he was throwing a tantrum while I sat in quiet amusement.

Um, who’s the bigger disgrace here asshole.

Really, if it wasn’t for Umehito, I probably would have smacked him by now. As it was…

Eh, it wasn’t worth it. It seems I was accepted by Ume's immediate family and that was enough for me. Unless I was challenged or asked to demonstrate my abilities, I was staying out of it.

Listening in, I couldn't help but here Manzo exclaim, “It's a disgrace that he lowers himself to an American woman. One of those things is bad enough!”

Really? I can understand the feelings towards Americans, but dude, you just insulted half of your Clan.

At least his father, Kane, seemed to think he was being rude if his frown and inner turmoil was anything to go by. But before he could reprimand him, Manzo continued.

“Let's test her. Surely she isn't as strong as she believes.”

Receiving nods from enough members, he turns to me with a sneer on his face. “I challenge you to a duel. Magic only.”

I stood, at least things were moving along. “Your terms?”

“If you lose, you will have no further contact or association with our Clan. And for bringing you here, Umehito will be banished from the Clan as well.”

Well shit. I could handle any action against me, but why attack your nephew? Do you hate women that much?

The Clan agreed to his terms, some reluctantly, causing Kira to stiffen behind me. I'm sure if I failed, she would ruin my life.

At least I have a reason to put real effort into this now. If it's needed.

You don’t threaten mine.

Wanting this over with already, and have no real desire to ask for something, I merely nodded and stepped forward, ready to duel.

My quiet confidence startled Manzo, but he quickly hid it and motioned to the room to clear a space for us.

Everyone stepped back, leaving a large circle clear for us to duel in. Once we both stepped inside, a transparent barrier appeared to protect the spectators and prevent interference.

Before I had the chance to do anything, Manzo transformed, throwing a large icicle at me in the process.

I stepped to the right, batting the ice away with my left hand. Really? Was that the best he could do?

Hearing it shatter and not even bothering to transform, I slowly started to take control of the shadows behind him, while distracting him by flicking a few low powered fireballs in his direction.

He throws a ball of water at one, extinguishing it. The second he stops with a small water shield, while he dodges the third.

He's frustrated, possibly at having to dodge, and throws four more icicles at me.

I wonder if that's supposed to be a threat?

Deciding to play with him a little, I take control of the air around the icicles, using it to force them off track and into the barrier.

Seeing Manzo startled, I figured now was the best time to knock him down. Figuratively and literally.

I gather air into a strong gust, adding emotional energy to it, to disorient and cause arrogance. Not that I really needed the latter.

Manzo, clearly blind to the energy, uses his blue-green wings as a shield, directing the air around and over him, unknowingly allowing the energy to attach to him.

While he was blinded by his wings, I sent a ball of water at him, hoping my plan worked.

Thankfully it did. Slightly disoriented and foolishly believing water wouldn't negatively affect him, he lets it hit him while he prepares his next attack.

He doesn't get the chance.

As soon as the water hits him, he is knocked off balance and falls on his butt. The shadows follow my thoughts, springing up and around him like chains, keeping him pinned to the floor.

When he fails to release himself, the barrier falls.

As I turn to retake my seat, I see Ume try to reign in his amusement, hiding his mouth behind his hand. His mother is relieved; hopefully now she'll realize I'll protect her son, regardless of his oath.

Before I can sit down, Kane steps forward.

“Miss Montgomery, you've won. Please release my son.”

I wave my hand and dismiss the shadows, but it takes a moment for Manzo to stand. Good.

Kane frowns at him before turning back to me. “Welcome to the Clan. You have our approval to solidify your bond with my grandson. I do request that you inform us of the specifics once you've finished.”

Yeah, no. You allowed your son to be that rude and disrespectful, without any sign of an apology? Umehito and I both agreed we wouldn't tell them everything.

Not that I can say any of that. “Umehito will relay the relevant information later.” Sure, we'll probably be done tonight, but rituals are tiring and I'm not going to keep him awake to please these guys.

The elder nodded, reluctantly accepting of my words. “Now, what are your terms from winning the duel? My son neglected to ask before you began.”

Sighing internally, “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” He asked, confused and surprised.

I smile politely, hopefully hiding my frustration with these people. “Yes. Nothing I would ask of you can be taken, only earned.”

There's nothing I really want from these people anyway. Respect and accepting would be nice, but they are unneeded and can only be earned. Not to mention I don’t really want anything from this group when they don’t even respect all of their members.

“Very well,” he said, impressed by my words. “Due to our Clan's rules, you now possess Umehito's standing. Should he accept control of the Clan once he is of age, you will take it in his stead.”

I bowed, showing my acceptance.

A few pleasantries later, the meeting ended, and Ume and I could get down to this oath business.

* * *

Ume and I walked to his quarters, figuring one of ours would be best for this and his having the stronger wards. Once there, he lit the logs in the fireplace. As an extra precaution, I wove a spell around us that prevented others from listening in.

With the fire lit and no other lights on, Ume removed his cloak and wig before settling on one of the arm chairs by the fire.

Happy to bask in the shadows, I transformed before settling into the other armchair, carefully maneuvering my wings so I didn't crush them.

Might as well be comfortable during a difficult conversation.

“Hey, Ume?” I say to grab his attention.

Once he looks at me, I continue, “I know we talked about it a little before, but I want to know why you're doing this. I’m not fully comfortable with this whole thing, but I think if I understand your reasoning, I’ll be fine. For my piece of mind, before we negotiate, I would like a clearer explanation.”

I knew that it was a lot to ask for, but this was serious. Considering he basically wants to give his life to me, it’s not unreasonable. Consent is important in all things. I can forgive him not asking before he gave the oath, but I would hear his reasoning before I fully accepted it.

Plus, a good enough reason will likely assuage my doubts and prevent me from insulting him with future reluctance. It’s hard to disagree with decent reasons after all.

He sighed, before giving me a wistful smile.

“You probably didn't know, but when we first started talking, I idolized you.”

Shocked, I shook my head. Hopefully this was going somewhere, and idolization wasn't his whole reasoning.

“I saw what you posted about magic and I couldn't believe it. Few understand magic like you do. Your approach was so creative! And yet, you clearly had no knowledge of this world. I couldn't help but talk to you. Even before you agreed to, you taught me so much.

“The more we talked, the more I learned: about magic and you. Language aside, it was clear you were American: few here would be so aware of how odd they were and not try and hide it. You knew you were strange, that you liked different things and thought differently, but you embraced it! All the while maintaining enough awareness to remain humble and not arrogant. You were the reason I'm a more myself in public and less ashamed of my curse. And part of the reason I even tried to create the Black Magic Club when I got to high school.”

That was…flattering, I guess. I know my outlook on magic opened his eyes to more possibilities, even before I was officially teaching him. And he was right: I was proud of my weirdness. Sure, there were times when I doubted and wanted to conform, if only to have friends. But everyone was different and by the time I reached high school I gave up trying to hide that.

But if that’s his only reason…

“After a while, I realized you were human in the sense that you had your strengths and weaknesses, virtues and vices. You may not be like others, but you still wanted to help whenever possible. You are kind and caring… Who else would learn another language just because they thought it unfair that only one of a pair were communicating in their native language. Even now, you're trying to learn Russian when you're about to attend a Japanese school.”

He sighed wistfully, “We’ve talked about my feelings before. You’ve said that you love me, even if you can’t return my feeling and I accept that. We can’t change the past; you’re here now, and I’m not going to force you into anything. I’m happy with whatever you’re willing to give.

“And I think I’ve told you about my submissive tendencies. I don’t think we need to go into that more now, although we can another day.”

He stopped, looking down for a moment before taking a deep breath, “But it’s not just about those feelings and desires. When I learned what happened to you, I panicked. And when I visited you, I got angry…”

I snorted, that was an understatement if I ever heard one.

He smiled in response, “Yes, well. I hated that you had to go through that. That no one helped you. I knew then that I had to do something. You deserve to be safe and happy. You deserve to have someone willing and able to help you. So, I made an oath to be that person: I want to help you, protect you, and when you have things in hand, to stand by your side…”

He stood and walked over to me, leaning against my chair, “I respect and trust you. You accept me for myself, even at my darkest. I don’t have to pretend around you or conform to society’s ideals when it’s just the two of us. I know you would do your best to keep me safe, especially now that I know you consider me family.

“All in all, I hold you in high regard. I offer my service to you, as no one else deserves it in my eyes nor will have my best interest at heart.”

Clearing my throat, “Well then. That seems like an acceptable explanation to me.”

And it was. Sure, it’s a little emotion heavy and everything came rushing out in a mildly confusing manner, but at least that means he’s passionate and dedicated. As long as the terms protect us both and there’s an escape clause, I’ll let him swear himself to me. 

“However, we still need to discuss the terms.”

Ume nodded, relief flowing off him.

“I know you want to serve and protect as much as possible, but do you have any other terms?”

He shrugs, “You come first for me.”

I roll my eyes, really? “Alright. But if that's the case, you  _will_  tell me when something I do or ask makes you uncomfortable or you don't agree with it okay?”

“Yes, but I'll probably do it anyway.”

“I know, but it will make me feel better if you communicate. I want you to take care of yourself too.”

He frowns a little, but I continue, “You can't serve me properly if you run yourself ragged.”

With a sigh, “You're right. Anything else?”

“Yeah, you aren't going to ignore your family. Their schedules will be considered, but I want you to spend time with them without me around.”

“I can agree to that, but I would prefer that to happen when you are at your house or with future friends that you trust.”

Smiling at his willingness to compromise, “We can discuss each case as it happens, but I understand that. Next would be that we discuss any important decisions either of us want to make, but we usually do that anyway.”

“We do, but I'll try to make sure anyway.”

“One last thing, I don't know how permanent this oath is, and I’m not saying we will, but time can change people. So, if at some point we  _both_ want to, we can dissolve it.”

Ume frowned, upset that I considered dissolving the bond. But I think part of him realized how irresponsible it would be if we didn't. We  _are_  just teenagers, which is mostly why I think this is a little crazy.

He nodded, realizing a failsafe wasn’t a bad thing, even if it was never used.

“That's all I can think of, but we can always discuss things after the fact if needed. So how do we do this?”

He stood and prompted me to do so as well. “Essentially, I swear myself to you, you ask if I agree to the terms we discussed, and I agree.”

Sounds simple enough.

Ume grabbed my left wrist with his left hand and had me grip his in turn. Shifting to a kneeling position, he turned our arms so mine was on top of his.

With a bowed head, “I, Nekozawa Umehito, swear my life and magic to your service, Montgomery Matilda. Do you accept my plea?”

I took a deep breath, “I do. Do you agree to serve by the terms we discussed?”

“I do.”

Before he could stand, a swell of energy surrounded us. Our magic flared, before rushing toward our joined hands. I felt warmth beneath my palm as the energy clashed into our skin and magic.

When it all settled, he stood and moved to step back. Just then I noticed something strange.

“What's on your wrist.”

He looked down, slightly confused. On his previously clear but pale wrist was a black fairy star with a silver snake circling it.


	4. Questions and Maybe Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matilda wakes up the day after the ritual only to be confronted once again. Plus a recap from some soon to be friends

**Monday, December 6, 2004**

Matilda rolled over in her bed, glad that she was able to sleep in a little. Yesterday had been hectic, and it would have ended on a bad note if her and Umehito hadn’t stayed up so late talking.

She was pissed when she realized she had essentially  _branded_  her best friend. Although she did relax when he told her he didn’t know that would happen. Neither of them had ever done something like this after all, so she couldn’t blame him. But after that surprise, they took some time before bed to figure out what else had changed and discuss the meaning of the mark.

In the end, they determined that the mark was a fair representation of her and her magic.

The fairy star, a star with 7 points made of interlocking diamonds, was named after the race that first used it. After her inheritance, Matilda was surprised to learn the symbol she had used for years wasn’t just a fun version of a heptagram and held actual significance. The brand was a black version of the more colorful symbol she used, probably to signify she was a Shadow Fairy.

The snake was more difficult to pin an exact meaning to. Sure, it was the symbol of her Hogwarts House, but that couldn't be the reason. It was also possible that it was there because it was a symbol of rebirth and healing: the reason Matilda was there in the first place and part of the reason Umehito made his oath. In the end, they decided it was there to symbolizes her magic. Her eyes turned silver when she used magic unrelated to her creature inheritance after all. And snakes were one of the main forms her shadows took. After all, she did always have a snake or two hiding in her own shadow, ready to defend or attack when needed.

They also learned that the bond had boosted their power by tying their magic together, enabling them to exchange energy as needed. Of course, she was displeased to discover that Ume had the shit end of the stick. He could only take so much, once it started to negatively affect her, it stopped. On the other hand, she could take as much as she wanted or needed until he was rendered unconscious.

She could only hope it never came to that.

The last change, as far as they could tell so far, was the creation of a telepathic bond between them. They only explored it a little before bed, but they could tell that it allowed them to sense the general well-being of each other at all times as well as get a sense of where the other was. They could send thoughts to one another, but that seemed to be all. At least they wouldn't be hearing each other's thoughts 24/7.

Despite the unexpectedness of it all, she was glad for the changes. At least now Ume would be more likely to spend time with his friends and family without her, since he would  _know_  she was okay. Plus, it enabled her to know Ume was currently at school, so she didn't panic over not being able to sense him in the house.

Only one real question remained: what to do while he's away?

'Well, first things first. Get ready for the day.' She thought, finally getting out of bed.

After using the restroom and doing a shortened version of her morning routine, Matilda went to her closet. She couldn't help but wonder why Mika hadn't come. Perhaps she only helps when she has an important event or specific plans for that day, she would have to discuss it with her at some point.

Shrugging the situation off, she just put on comfortable, black dress pants and a long-sleeved red blouse.

While walking toward the kitchen, ready to get her own breakfast, a maid intercepts her, telling her to wait in the dining room and she would bring her something.

'Really', she thought, 'I can't make my own breakfast? I better be able to in my own house.'

Not long after she sat down, the maid brought her a rice omelet and fruit with chocolate milk. Well, at least they brought her things she liked.

While eating, she contemplated what to do that day. She could look online for some furniture or clothes. Maybe write a letter to her Nana since it was a bit late to call her. She could even study a little, to try and catch up on Japanese History.

She still hadn't decided as she walked back towards her room. But before she reached it, Umehito's mother, Kira, intercepted her.

“Ah, Matilda- _san_ , just who I was looking for. I was hoping we could talk?” She stated more than asked.

Matilda nodded, realizing that she didn't really have a choice in the matter. And what was one more awkward conversation/interrogation?

Kira led her to her study, having her sit on the other side of her desk.

'Can't blame her for going for intimidation.' Matilda thought, waiting for Kira to tell her why she was there.

With a straight face, “What are your intentions with my son?”

Matilda frowned, wondering what she meant, surely not marriage?

“He's my best friend. I just want him safe and happy.”

Clearly skeptical, “And yet you put him in danger. You almost got him expelled from the Clan.”

Trying to be respectful but unwilling to take responsibility for things others did, she kept her face blank and voice even: “While I am the target of it, I did not ask for Umehito to make his oath. And it was his uncle that pushed for his expulsion: something I prevented.

“I don’t want him putting himself in danger for me, but he has chosen to do so. However, I will do whatever I can to prevent that. And if I cannot, I'll do what I can to right things.”

Kira frowned, annoyed, likely because she was right and so clearly willing to protect her son.

“What would happen if you couldn't defend yourself? If you were facing a human, were without magic, or facing a gun?”

Matilda frowned, unhappy with the idea, but aware that it was a possibility.

“I’d like to believe I would handle it, but one can’t plan for everything.”

The Elf leaned forward, leaning her arms against her desk, “Exactly.”

Matilda wondered what was going through her head as she could tell she was warming up to her, if grudgingly so.

Adopting a more resigned air, “Our community here focuses on confidentiality: we’ve integrated with humans. Complete secrecy isn’t necessary, but we’re encouraged to prevent the general public from learning of our existence.”

She paused to make sure Matilda followed. Matilda nodded, that’s the position Massachusetts took: magic wasn’t a secret in her state. Though that didn’t mean everyone had the same level of awareness, if they were aware at all.

“For many,” Kira continued, “this means not performing any magic or supernatural feats outside their homes, not wanting to risk a human seeing them. However, as long as human witnesses do not tell others…Well most don’t care what happens. Do you know how to keep yourself and your activities hidden?”

Matilda mentally rolled her eyes, Kira really didn’t know her at all. Really, that was what her kind did.

“For as long as I can remember, I've been able to get others to overlook me.” Well, more like she was overlooked and learned use it to her advantage and on command.

In a matter of fact tone, “I can be in a room and no one will notice, regardless of what I’m doing. If I don’t want to be seen, I won’t be.”

“And if someone should witness something they shouldn’t?” Kira pressed.

Suppressing a sigh, “I find it distasteful to use magic, or any other ability, on those that have no knowledge of its existence. Free Will exists for a reason. However, I protect me and mine. Even if it means bending the rules.”

Kira nodded, impressed, “Alright, so you know how to deal with that magically. What would happen if you were in a warded area or in one where magic doesn’t work? How would you protect yourself?”

Disgruntled, “I’ve taken a few self-defense classes, so I feel confident I could hold my own enough to get to safety against an ordinary human, but against anyone with significant skill or experience…”

She frowned, not enjoying that thought. Figuring that this was Kira’s point, she turned to her.

“That’s what I thought. No matter his preferences, I don’t want my son to be harmed trying to save you. As you are now a member of this Clan, I feel it’s only right that you be trained as such.”

After a pause, “I advise you to ask Haninozuka- _kun_  or Morinozuka- _kun_  to train you after you meet them. Until then, and in case they decline, I suggest learning how to handle knives. My son mentioned that you’re not adverse to them, and with your gifts you can conceal or make them better than most.”

Taking a moment to think it over, Matilda reasoned that it wasn’t a bad idea. She had experience throwing from softball and the stuffed animal Olympics she played with Matthew and their mom. Plus, she already made ‘solid’ objects out of shadows, what’s to say she couldn’t make a blade as well.

“That seems acceptable to me.”

Kira smiled.

“All right, Umehito can help you learn the basics. You can work things out with him when he returns from school.

“The other thing we need to address is your fear of guns. It’s understandable fear to have, but also a dangerous one. They may be regulated more here but that doesn’t remove their existence. My family has been targeted before and likely will be again.”

“I understand. It’d better to be prepared.” Matilda said, especially since Kira owned a weapons manufacturing business in Russia and the Nekozawas owned a security business. Talk about prime targets.

“Quite right. I think it is best if we work on overcoming your fear or at the very least delaying the triggered response.”

Here Kira paused, concerned overcoming her as Matilda felt herself pale from the thought.

Noticing her pause, “I’m alright. I just know this will be very unpleasant. But you’re right. There is a fairly high possibility that I will be faced with a firearm: they’re everywhere in America and I’ve heard that the Ootori personal police force is equipped with them.

“I’ve never liked guns and the attack only intensified that. We cannot guarantee that my fight or flight response will overcome the panic. It’s only logical to try and overcome that fear before such a situation occurs. I assume we’ll try exposure therapy?”

Matilda was privately amused at Kira’s disbelief over her self-awareness.

“Yes. We'll start by having you read up on guns. You'll learn how they are made, assembled, and maintained. After that, we’ll move on to being around, and eventually using, a paintball or bb gun. If you manage that, we'll move on to real guns.

“My hope is that once you are 18, you'll take the safety course and apply for a hunting license.”

Matilda frowned, despite being related to a number of police officers and her own mother having a gun license, she never wanted one. She had no desire to fire a gun, even for hunting (not to mention crossbows were more effective).

She was terrified of them, especially since she was shot. But she knew that it was highly unlikely she would never encounter one again, even if one was never pointed at her. Her mother was in the same situation even if she had only had shots fired around her instead of at her. Between that and knowing how dangerous it was to Umehito to be distracted by her fear when trying to protect her, she needed to try.

With that decided, she discussed the particulars with Kira, creating a schedule and general timeline for both trainings. The knife training would be fairly intense at first, both wanting her to have the basics down by the time she started school, even if she couldn’t throw with any accuracy. After that things loosened up: she wanted to master that particular skill by the time she graduated, hopefully with other bladed skills under her belt as well. The gun training was much looser: they really only needed her to be able to knowingly be in the same room as a gun without completely panicking by the time she started school. After that, it would be as slow as she needed.

* * *

**July 28th, 2004**

It was dark. Unnaturally so.

Shadows surrounded him, preventing him from seeing anything, even with his advanced sight.

His training should allow him to sense if anyone or thing was nearby, but he sensed nothing but the shadows themselves. He wondered why that didn't unnerve him?

Perhaps it was the fact that the shadows seemed fond of him? They embraced him, trying to give him comfort. Still, he should be more cautious than he was.

Before he could explore the darkness further, he felt a presence, but it wasn't in the shadows.

'Oh. I must be dreaming.'

With that thought that he woke up to find his cousin standing by his bed. Looking at his face, he wondered if he dreamt the same thing.

“Takashi?” The blond called before sitting on his bed. “You dreamt that too?”

He sat up, nodding as he did so, unsurprised that Mitsukuni responded to his thoughts.

“What do you think it meant?” He asked.

Takashi thought it over, trying to remember if he'd had similar dreams before. He couldn't remember any with shadows, but he did remember floating in a dream with the same feeling.

“Important people.”

The younger frowned, confused. After a moment, realization stuck, “You think they're pointing towards someone important? I know we dreamt of each other, I wonder what they would mean to us if we're both dreaming about them?”

He shrugged. They were close enough that anyone important to one of them would be important to the other, if not in the same way. But only time would tell.

**September 24th, 2004**

Shadows again. He wasn't surprised to see them, he dreamed of them often enough the past two months. They were comforting, and he felt more well rested after dreaming about them. But this time seemed different.

He still couldn't see anything in the darkness, but he thought he could finally sense a presence. He took a deep breath, trying to catch a scent. Unfortunately, they were either too far away or not ‘here’ enough for him to smell anything from them. He did hear breathing though, so he wasn't imagining something that wasn't there.

Before he could investigate further, he woke up.

Frustrated, he decided to ask Takashi if he had learned anything else from his dream that he missed.

**November 14th, 2004**

Weeks had past and neither he nor his cousin had been able to learn anything else about the being in their dreams. They knew nothing about what it was or any details of the presence itself, just that it was there. Even worse, every time he or Mitsukuni had tried to get closer to them, they woke up.

Well, until tonight.

Whoever, or whatever, it was seemed closer than usual, as if they sat next to him. Assuming that he would wake up if he tried to touch them, he sat still letting the dream play out.

Listening closely, he heard quiet rustling over his and their breathing. Was that feathers? Did the person have wings?

With that thought, he felt something soft brush against his back and arms. Whoever this was, they probably would end up close if they were wrapping him in their wing. 

**December 3rd, 2004**

Mitsukuni was enjoying the dream, content to just let things flow after months of failing to learn more than the dreams wanted.

That seemed to be the best decision, he thought, as the dream changed once again.

The wing was still draped over his back when he felt a hand on his arm.

The first thing he noticed about it was that it was small. The second thing he noticed were the scars. A little less than half of the palm had been burnt at one point.

He was concerned for this person, hoping they were okay now. Wanting to offer comfort, even though they weren't actually there, he put his own hand over theirs and was surprised when he was actually able to without waking.

Noticing the back of the hand was scared as well, he frowned. He also managed to feel the nails as well; they were polished, so the person cared for themselves. But they were long too, long enough for him to wonder if this person was female.

Just then, he woke up with the thought of finding his cousin. They needed to talk about this.

**December 7th, 2004**

The cousins sat together enjoying breakfast after morning practice, both thinking over the latest changes in their dreams.

“Do you think we're going to meet them soon?” Mitsukuni asked, “That was the second change in a week.”

Takashi shrugged. It was possible. And likely if one thought about it, after all, they were supposed to meet the newest member of the Nekozawa Clan after school that day, there was a small chance they were the same person.

He was more concerned over the change from the dream. She, or at least he thought it was she, had turned and showed him her eyes. But he couldn't for the life of him figure out what color they were.

His cousin shrugged back, “I looked up eye colors before practice. Apparently, there are gray eyes that can look blue or green. Though most of the time they're called blue. None of the shades matched, but she is a creature, probably a fairy, so that might affect the colors.”

That made sense, even if there was no real proof. Creatures usually didn't advertise their differences online when anyone could stumble upon it. All they could do was wait and see.

Not that they had to wait long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally had the last part as an outtake, but decided to rewrite it. After I did I figured it could fit in perfectly as a bit of a preview to the next chapter


	5. Unexpected Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matilda gets a surprise visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Umehito is in 3-B not 3-A but fanfiction has no rules sooo, he's now in the A classes.

**Tuesday, December 7, 2004**

Umehito was frustrated. His father had neglected to inform him that Honey- _kun_  and Mori- _kun_  would be joining him on his return home. He didn’t have a problem with them, they were his friends after all, but he really could have used some warning.

If only so he could warn Maeve- _sama_ , since his father probably didn’t tell her either. Unfortunately, she wasn’t answering (or even reading) his texts nor was she acknowledging his telepathic messages. Thankfully she seemed peaceful and was still at the house. She was probably asleep or meditating.

A warning wasn’t  _necessary_  exactly, but she would be much more comfortable meeting them, and later their families, with some preparation.

Of course, once they arrived at the house, he realized he could have prevented all his panic by having one of the maids warn her when she didn't answer him the first time.

* * *

Matilda startled awake, her second sight alerting her to approaching danger. Looking around, she noticed Umehito approaching nervously with two Elves following him.

Concerned she sent him a mental message,  _“What’s going on? Are you okay?”_

She sensed his relief,  _“You’re awake, I tried to contact you earlier. My father wanted you to meet our allies but didn’t tell us. They’re coming for dinner.”_

Moments later he walked into his sitting room with his guests. Their appearances were like night and day and exactly like Umehito described to her months ago. One, Morinozuka Takashi, was tall, well-built, and dark haired. His cousin, Haninozuka Mitsukuni, was short, blond, and child-like despite being the same age as the other males in the room.

At least that explained the danger she sensed, since both were martial arts experts. However, it didn’t explain why she instinctively trusted them. The last time her instincts contradicted the clear and logical danger was…

Oh. Well, maybe she could trust them.

They stood there a little awkwardly as Umehito walked over to her intending to help her out of her chair, absentmindedly picking up the book that must have fallen off her lap while she slept on the way.

Once she was on her feet, she internally questioned if she should have worn something else that day. The black dress she was wearing was comfortable and modest but the short sleeves, knee length hem, and heart shaped cut out around her shoulder blades revealed a great deal of her scaring. At least they seemed to ignore most of them, looking her in the eye. Although they did keep glancing at the burns on her right hand.  

Umehito stepped back, facing her while keeping the others in his sight, gesturing to them.  

“Maeve- _sama_ , these are my friends and classmates and our allies Haninozuka Mitsukuni and Morinozuka Takashi. Now that you’ve been officially welcomed, our fathers thought it best for you to meet them before your public debut. Their parents and brothers will be joining us for dinner later tonight.”

Pausing to face the others, “Honey- _kun_ , Takashi- _kun_ , I'd like for you to meet Montgomery Matilda.”

They all gave their greeting before Haninozuka smiled and stepped forward, “It’s great to meet you! If you like, you can call us Honey and Mori, a lot of people do.”

She smiled and took a moment to examine them quickly, wanted to verify her instincts. Despite their abilities, neither of their auras had any major warning signs. Honey had a bit of sadistic desires, but it gave the impression of being BDSM in nature and not a general desire to hurt people. And other than that, they seemed to be more reserved and protective. In fact, she got the impression that they actively tried not to harm people.

With that in mind and her instincts screaming at her that they were safe and trustworthy, “It’s nice to meet you both as well, Ume has spoken highly of you. Feel free to call me Matilda or Maeve.”

Umehito gave her a look, wondering what motivated her to do that, before shaking his head.

Everyone took their seats as Mika walked in with snacks for everyone and Matilda’s afternoon medication. Surprised, Matilda looked at the time only to find that Umehito was home earlier that she had thought, they must have all skipped their respective clubs today, but at least their guests wouldn’t be eating too many snacks before dinner.

Mika set down a plate of fruit and four pieces of cake on the coffee table and served tea to the boys. She then handed Matilda a glass of what appeared to be white grape juice and quietly left.

Honey wasted no time in digging in to his piece, only to bite back a moan. It was a moist vanilla cake covered in whipped chocolate frosting with fresh strawberry slices on top and in the chocolate separating the two layers. It was the best cake he’s had in years.

“This is delicious! Where did you buy it?” he asked, needing to have the best cake available.

Matilda smiled as she grabbed her own piece, adding a few whole strawberries to her plate.

Taking a bite herself before replying, aware of the eyes on her, “I found it difficult to find ready-made cakes that had fruit but were not fruit flavored, at least in America. I prefer my fruit as fresh as possible and dislike when they're baked into things. When I was baking my favorite cake one day I wondered if strawberries would go with it. Even with years of experimenting, this is still my favorite. I was feeling a bit home sick this morning and made this to cheer myself up.”

While she explained, she pushed a bit of her magic into her glass, satisfied when it changed from pale gold to a light teal. After a quick sniff and sensing nothing amiss, she took a sip. She hated that she had been so injured that she still had to medicate herself months later, even if it was mostly nutrition supplement and barely any pain killer at this point. Physically, she was only scarred and sore during harsh weather, but her diet wasn’t great before the attack and she was still growing. Her body needed all the help it could get especially while her emotional and mental health was still choppy. At least she only had to drink it twice a day now and it tasted decent. Soon enough, it would become a once daily nutritional supplement except for her bad days. Well, barring setbacks anyway.

She could sense Mori’s curiosity, while Honey’s was overshadowed by his desire. She wondered if she should explain but figured if she had to get into the attack, she’d rather only do it once today and there was a good chance their families might bring it up.

Honey seemed to agree considering he didn’t question her on it and instead focused on the cake in front of him. He lost some of his childlike demeanor, replacing it with greed and awe.

“You made this?"

Matilda nodded, “Yeah, I like baking. I usually make breads and muffins, occasionally brownies, but every month or so I’ll bake a cake.”

Not long after that the boys decided to get some homework done before dinner and she went back to the book she was reading before her impromptu nap. Well, that’s what she pretended to do. In actuality, she went back a few chapters and turned the pages now and again, taking the opportunity to look closer at Honey and Mori. Other than the quick look earlier and Umehito’s word, she didn’t know them. She knew logically, it wasn’t really right to look at people too closely, but these were people she’d be seeing a lot of and instincts can lie to you when others are involved.

The first thing she noticed was that their personalities didn’t line up with their appearances. Honey may be often mistaken for an Elementary school student, especially with that pink bunny of his, but the Sky Elf was a walking contradiction much like herself. There was a duality in just about every part of him: he was happy acting younger than his years but could just as easily be so much older. He was fiercely protective of others, but that could easily turn violent in defense of those he loved. He was carefree, but observant and critical as you would expect from his training. The list went on and his older cousin wasn’t much better.

Mori  _could_  be as fierce as his appearance and training would suggest, but the Earth Elf embodied the caring side of his nature. He was loyal and protective of his cousin despite knowing Honey could protect himself without issue. He seemed to take responsibility for a great deal, perhaps more than he should. It baffled her that someone that so clearly could kill another was unlikely to injure someone beyond what was absolutely necessary to protect those he cared for (and even those he didn’t). She could tell that his silence in her presence wasn’t due to shyness or inattentiveness, but rather intense observation beyond that of his cousin and a deep appreciation on words and  _knowing_  just how much weight they can hold.

Beyond all that, she could tell that they respected Umehito as much as he did them and say him as a dear friend. What really caught her attention though was the irregularity in the bond between the two cousins.

There were three strands of purple between them.

The bonds between people were complex ropes, each made of sections of strands denoting the type and strength of each facet between them. She usually didn’t focus on them and out right blocked out those connected to her, but in her curiosity about their loyalty to her only friend she saw what she probably shouldn’t have.

She understood their bond being as strong as it was because they grew up together, trained together, and attended school together. Still, she was only expecting one strand of purple: a lavender showing a chosen friendship. She certainly didn’t expect two progressively darker shades denoting a deeper and more taboo relationship.

Matilda didn’t really care that it existed considering neither was being coerced and her only real concern not being a factor with their sexes. Still, she wasn’t sure what to do. Her little foray with her sight dispelled any doubts she had (she only needs to naturally develop a friendship to fully trust them) and they were her allies now. At the very least, she should do what she could to prevent others learning about it the way she did.

That decided, she cast a temporary illusion on the bond, making the section of purple strands appear to be one lighter strand, casting the others into shadow. Later on, she could weave a spell that would follow their desires. Should they accept it, even if only unconsciously, it would anchor that illusion to all that they didn’t trust or didn’t want to know, going as far as to cloud the knowledge for those that shouldn’t have it but did.

Of course, being the one to cast the spell she would still know, even if she could no longer see it. A little insurance should she be proven wrong.

It didn’t take too long after she finished to notice several auras approaching the manor, figuring the other guests were arriving, she mentally steeled herself for what was inevitably another confrontation. Hopefully she was wrong.

Not long after that thought a maid informed them that the others had arrived, prompting Honey and Mori to head downstairs, presumably to engage in the Haninozuka family rule. Matilda wondered if the Morinozukas fought as well considering Mori’s grandmother was a Haninozuka.

Looking for an answer, she kept her second sight on the teens as she put her small suede heels back on. As Umehito offered his arm and escorted her to the main sitting room she got an answer, though not the one she was looking for.

Only Honey and another small male she assumed was his brother fought. Maybe the family rule was suspended in their ally’s home? Regardless, the fight was over by the time they got downstairs.

Entering the room, Matilda noticed three things. First, Kirimi was not present, not that she could really expect the 5-year-old to be between her bedtime and the likely mature things they would be discussing. Not that she thought the latter was an issue considering the things her nanny read her.

The second was the clear divides in the room. Intentional or not, everyone was sitting by age and gender, which was a little weird by her standards. Although she was thankful that she wasn’t the only female in the room, even if the three mothers were at least twice her age.

The third, and most amusing, was the shock. With the reasonable exception of Kira and Kazuo, everyone seemed shocked at her appearance, though some hid it better than others as the men rushed to stand.

This shock was probably the cause of Honey’s brother’s outburst.

“What’s with the scars and how come we didn’t hear you?”

This was immediately followed by a loud thwack as he was hit upside the head by a shinai.

Matilda ignored the divide as best she could, subtly pulling Umehito to seat her between him and Mori. She had no desire to sit alone next to the mothers and the fathers were rather intimidating, not to mention they seemed to be separating the younger brothers from the elder ones.

Once she sat, the males followed suit. Apparently, they were forgoing some of the introductory gestures. Umehito quickly introduced them in turn.

Next to his mother, was the petite Haninozuka Suzu and the fierce Morinozuka Kaori. Kazuo sat with their respective husbands: Yorihisa and Akira. On their left were their youngest sons: Yasuchika and Satoshi.

What baffled her, though she would never say as much, was that both Yorihisa and Akira were Earth  _and_  Sky Elves. It made sense given that they were brother despite the different family names. It also explained why Yasuchika and Satoshi had the opposite alignments of their older brothers.

How weird.

Yorihisa cleared his throat, “While I do not approve of how my son asked, I’m curious myself. How is it that we didn’t notice your approach? Your shoes alone should have made enough noise for us to hear.”

Matilda blinked, not quite expecting that even though she should have. Elves have advanced hearing, even over Fairies, add the martial art training and she must have unnerved them.

“Even before my inheritance I walked so quietly my mother would say I teleported. My nature likely amplified that ability.” She said, not sure if she should give the real reason. Besides, that wasn’t a lie, her mother did say it.

Akira frowned, unsatisfied, “Perhaps that explains the lack of sound, but we only sensed Umehito- _kun_ , not you.”

The 'and we should have' went unsaid for all it hung in the air. Matilda frowned, not wanting to seem pathetic. Umehito nudged her gently with his elbow and gave her a reassuring smile when she glanced at him.

She sighed, closing her eyes. Focusing on her shields, she targeted one of the first she ever constructed and started lowering it.

With a quite sizzle the air changed as her presence was released.

“It’s mostly habit. You live long enough being unheard and unseen you stop putting your presence out there. Especially when you’re safer that way.”

* * *

Umehito saddened as the others paled, fully processing just how much Maeve- _sama_  had been hurt. They didn’t notice how little they could focus on her unless she was pointed out, even now that they could see her fully. Even his mother felt guilty, realizing just how harshly she was judging her.

“You poor thing,” Suzu- _san_  whispered as her husband hesitantly stared at Maeve- _sama_.

She sighed, exasperated, likely over the lack of boldness his youngest son had.

“Just ask.”

He swallowed, “If you don’t mind saying, what happened to you?”

She turned towards Father, brow arched, “You didn’t tell them?”

“Not any details no. Allies or not, it is not my business to share.”

She shook her head in amazement before turning back to Yorihisa- _san_ , “Failure to trust my instincts.

“I wanted to believe in the ideal of one’s parents caring and protecting them, despite evidence to the contrary. Legally, my biological father had custody of me even though I spent less time with him and more with my mother as the years went on.

“During the summer I was scheduled to spend the weekend with him. I didn’t want to but had no real excuse or reason not to go. Foolishly, I had let down the shield that hid me before he picked me up.”

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He offered his hand to help ground her, happy when she took it.

“It didn’t take long for me to get hungry and decide to cook one of the snacks I brought with me. I was so focused on the stove and so used to ignoring my instincts while in his house that I didn’t notice when he walked in behind me.

“Next thing I knew hot water splashed on my legs and my wrist was in the flame. The next two days were spent as a knife sharpener.”

Honey- _kun_  was barely containing his anger as he asked, “How did you survive that?”

Maeve- _sama_  turned to him, frowning sadly.

“Technically, I didn’t.

“Luckily, Umehito became worried when he didn’t hear from me that first night and contacted my mom. She was just as worried since I usually texted her throughout my visits with him and she hadn’t gotten any response. Unfortunately, he had picked up when she called his house phone and said my phone was dead and I was sleeping since he couldn’t figure out the passcode to my cell phone.

“Really, all that did was make her more suspicious. Enough so that she had a police officer escort her to pick me up. She couldn’t have guessed that he would see the lights and decide to shoot me.

“If it wasn’t for that cop being there, I would have been dead before the ambulance arrived. As it was, they had to resuscitate me a few times. Its fully possible that I only survived out of spite. There was no way I was giving him the satisfaction of killing me. Well, that and my inheritance.”

After a few moments of silence, Takashi- _kun_  spoke up.

“What happened to him?”

She turned to him, trying to keep the sadistic glee off her face, “He was arrested and tried. He got a light sentence, probably because he was a cop. Not that it mattered much. He was killed in prison shortly after.”

He grunted, seemingly pleased with that answer. Not that his father was going to let things end on that note.

“And after all that, you left your family.”

Frowning, she turned towards Akira- _san_ , “Yes, it was best for all of us.”

Ever the family man, “How could ripping a family apart in a time of grief be the best thing?”

Her eyes lightened and the air around her dropped several degrees. Umehito squeezed her hand hoping to calm her, only to have her rip it out of his grasp.

“It was not a decision made lightly. I didn’t want to leave them but staying was only damaging us more. I needed to leave, but I wasn’t so cruel as to rip them away from their lives. I wasn’t going to force my parents to find new doctors with their health, nor rip my little brother away from his school and friends.”

“Instead you ripped yourself away after gaining wealth?” he accused.

“No!” she said getting to her feet, her eyes becoming less blue and whiter as she lost her temper.

“I ripped away the blatant lies! I ripped away the fear and guilt they felt in my presence!

“Out of all my family, only my great-grandmother is aware of the supernatural and my inheritance. And only she knew how much it was tearing me apart every time I felt the guilt and pain my mother hid when she hugged me. The fear my brother felt every time he looked at me. The crushing failure my step-father felt every time we went to the doctors or court. I felt my mother hating herself more and more when I became emancipated and provided her with the means to live without me nearby. Honestly, she uses more of my money than I do.

“All the while hoping that they could heal and grow without facing that everyday instead of tearing themselves apart pretending everything was fine. What else was I to do? Crush them with the knowledge that I knew what they were hiding from everyone else, even each other, while I could never tell them the full truth?!”

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Calmer, “My apologies, I shouldn’t have yelled. Still, you cannot blame a child for becoming an adult. I did the best I could for my family, given the circumstances.”

In the silence and shock that followed her outburst, Mother and Father looked at one another in a way that did not bode well.

At Mother’s nod, Father cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention, “Speaking of doing the best for one’s family…”

He looked Maeve- _sama_  in the eye, “Kira and I would like to adopt you.”


	6. Difficult Discussions and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matilda and Umehito discuss the day followed by a discussion concerning adoption terms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed things up for any that might have read the previous chapter 6 I had up. (this version was posted 11/3 if you read it before than things have changed) Added a lot more action and description, although it is still pretty dialog heavy.

To Matilda, the offer came out of left field. And she didn’t even have time to react before dinner had been announced. Dinner may have been quick, but it had felt like forever. The atmosphere had been a tense; the adults doing their best to ignore the scene in the parlor. They had tried to stick to safe topics, not that it really helped the situation.

Thankfully, they didn’t stay much longer, allowing her to return to her quarters to decompress.

She headed to the bathroom and undressed. After using the facilities, she showered using water that was hotter than really necessary. Matilda knew she could have soaked in the tub after quickly washing off, but the hot spray felt better on her muscles while using less water.

Feeling suitably clean and somewhat relaxed, she dried herself off and put on a long nightgown. She stretched, pleased when several joints popped. Manifesting her wings, she stretched those too before settling in front of the vanity.

Before she could pick up her brush there was a knock on the door. She glanced at it, figuring it was Umehito but wanting to be sure, she called out a quiet, “Come in.”

He walked in wearing silk pajamas, not wearing his wig or cloak in the darkness of and between their rooms.

Walking over to her, he picked up her comb and started gently pulling it through her hair, adding a little magic to let it dry faster without the heat of a blow dryer.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, not yet used to feeling another’s emotions or able to distinguish each in the mess she was feeling.

Matilda sighed, not entirely sure of that herself, her own emotions were often confusing, being either dull or a roaring flame.

“Confused for the most part, a bit embarrassed too. I made a horrible first impression.” Really, what had she been thinking yelling at an elder and social superior on their first meeting.

He briefly grabbed her shoulder, “It wasn’t nearly as bad as you think.”

She scoffed, seriously doubting that.

“Really, it wasn’t. You lost your temper after recalling a traumatic experience and having your family loyalty called into question. Anyone else would have done the same, more so another Shadow Fairy.” He reassured, finishing her hair.

Turning around, she raised a brow, “If that is the case, why would Akira- _san_  question me so?”

“Family is very important to the Haninozukas and Morinozukas, the latter more so. He wanted to know how much you valued yours considering you left them. Although, he could have gone about it better.”

Matilda didn’t fully believe his excuses. Whatever the reason and expectation, she still behaved rudely. Deciding to let it go for now, she moved onto the next uncomfortable topic.

“Speaking of family, did you know about your parents’ offer?” It was something that had been bugging her all throughout dinner.

Umehito scoffed and shook his head, “I didn’t even know about the others coming over, let alone what they were planning. Not that it really surprises me.”

He offered a hand and she grabbed it, relieved that he hadn’t hidden something so important from her.

“Why doesn’t it?” she asked as they stood and moved to the settee in front of the window that overlooked the gardens. She sat down and tucked her legs under her, leaning against the back cushion so she could carefully maneuver her wings over the left arm and out of the way.

Sitting on the other side of the settee and leaning back onto the arm, he continued, “The Clan isn’t fully satisfied with our situation. They may have accepted you, but some members are concerned that you aren’t tied to them.”

 “What do you mean?” Matilda asked, confused. What more could they want from her?

Umehito shrugged, “My oath ties me to you, not the other way around. Some fear that you’ll return to America and take me with you.”

She wanted to interrupt and say that wasn’t going to happen, but it was a possibility. While she wouldn’t force him anywhere, she had the option to return home after she finished her education. And if his attitude towards her didn’t change, Ume wouldn’t hesitate to follow.

“So, adoption…”

“… would tie you to them. Most would prefer us to be married, but few are willing to wait for that. Especially if Father let them know of your feelings on the matter. Adoption is the next best thing for them.”

“But what about us? I don’t see how this would be a good thing,” she said with a frown. As much as she wished otherwise, she couldn’t think of a positive. She just gained independence from her family, she didn’t want to bend to the will of another, possible dubious intentions aside. Not to mention how awkward it could make their relationship.

“I disagree. This could benefit you greatly,” he said with his creeper plotting smile. “Father is very reasonable, and he will gain by adopting you. I’m sure you two can work out a compromise; perhaps that he will only have the illusion of control over your life. It pleases the Clan while giving you the social standing we have. I don’t know much about the actual adoption process here, so there might be more.”

Moving her legs forward and leaning back a bit, Matilda thought it over again. If it was possible to gain the social benefits without losing control over her life, she might agree. She had no problem with allowing another to hold an illusion of control or even some real control as long as she was in control of major decisions like her education and hypothetical marriage. But that didn’t mean she would be willing to take what rightfully belonged to someone else.

“What about you? And Kirimi for that matter? I don’t want to take anything from you.”

He shrugged, “Without knowing how serious Father is with the adoption I can’t say if you’d be taking anything. I know Mother is planning to name Kirimi the successor for her business and that likely will not change. As for me, what is mine is already yours. I’m happy to share my inheritance if that’s what you want. But there’s no saying that you’ll be named heiress after talking to my father.”

Matilda stood, angry that Ume was so willing to give everything away. He was right though, there’s no telling that that will happen just yet. Taking a calming breath, she turned back to him.

“You didn’t fully answer my question: what about you? How do you feel about this whole thing?”

Rising, he opened his arms, silently offering a hug. When she stepped into them for one, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, carefully avoiding her wings.

“I want what is best for you. If you decide to accept, so be it. No matter what you do, our relationship isn’t going to change except in the eyes of others.

“Part of me will be disappointed that there won’t be any chance for us to marry, but I know you want something better for me anyway. However, a bigger part of me will be happy. If you are added to the family register you can leave and return to the country as you wish. You’ll have more reason to stay, even though I’ll happily follow you wherever you decide to go.

“If you agree, it will be more socially acceptable for me to accompany you. I’ll be able to protect you better.”

Stepping away from her and showing her a cheeky smile, “Besides, you already look like you could be Mother’s niece or something.”

Matilda scoffed, playfully hitting his shoulder before she started laughing.

Uncomfortable topics dealt with for the night, the two spent a while longer sitting in the dark relaxing before retiring to their respective beds to sleep.

After all, the next day would prove to be another busy and stressful one.

* * *

**Wednesday, December 8, 2004**

Matilda leaned back in her desk chair. She had spent most of the morning debating the pros and cons of accepting the adoption proposal. Umehito had been right, there was a lot she could get out of this if she played her cards right. Beneficial or not, she had a few conditions to agreeing. All that was left was negotiating.

With a sigh she stood and straightened out her royal blue dress. Everything in its proper place, she headed across the manor to Kazuo’s office.

Let the show begin.

It didn’t take long for her to reach her destination. Thankfully, the door was open when she reached it. Kazuo beckoned her inside and they quickly exchanged pleasantries. Once that was over with, they both sat at his desk waiting for the other to bring the purpose of the visit up.

Ten minutes past with neither of them moving or making any effort to speak. Matilda wondered when he would break. After all, it was his family that wanted this to happen and Matilda wasn’t so curious as to give up her advantage. Not to mention she had ample practice at waiting quietly and unnoticed.

It took another twelve minutes for his eye to twitch and five more after that before he broke, looking down at the paperwork in front of him and chuckling.

“Well, at least I know you have the tenaciousness this family needs. Let’s get down to business. Do you understand why we’re here?”

She nodded slightly, annoyed at the games he was playing, but relieved things were finally moving along. Still, that didn’t mean she needed to go easy on him. Tenaciousness indeed.

“As you deemed it unnecessary to explain last night, Umehito hypothesized that this is an effort to tie me to your Clan.”

He sighed, losing some of his normally playful manner in light of the situation.

“That’s part of it. As I’m sure you realized from my brother’s display, some of the Clan Members are not pleased with my son’s oath to you. Not only are you not tied to us in return, but a few see my son’s choice as shameful due to your sex and nationality.”

He paused, causing her to give him an unsurprised and unimpressed look.

Continuing, “They wish to ‘save our reputation’ in any way possible. Originally, they wished to marry the two of you; at least in that situation Umehito’s devotion is seen in a better light. However, I am aware of your feelings on the matter and made mention of how long that would take due to your ages.

“The next best thing was adoption. I volunteered, and the Clan agreed considering it is my son that caused this predicament.”

Matilda internally rolled her eyes at this ridiculousness. Really, this wasn’t as bad as they made it out to be. Sure, they believed their reputation to be at risk, but they wouldn’t be so worried about her stealing Umehito if they just stopped and talk to her for five minutes. The last thing she wanted was to take him away from his family, Nest or not. Of course, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t follow. But now wasn’t the time to think about a potential future that was what, 1 or 2 years away?

Mentally shaking herself out of it, “What exactly does this adoption entail legally?”

She took note of his hopeful demeanor as he answered, “Due to Japan’s integrated yet separate system there are two legal adoptions: supernatural and mundane. While it is preferred that members of the supernatural community do both, it isn’t uncommon for people to only do one.

“Considering your emancipation and your family in America, I am suggestion we only file the supernatural version. Doing so will satisfy the Clan, while also exploiting a loophole and giving you dual citizenship.”

Confused, “How does that work, Japan doesn’t offer that.”

He nodded, “You’re right, it doesn’t. However, upon your inheritance you did not register your home in the supernatural community.”

Eyes widening with realization, “By not doing so, I have the opportunity do list it as being here or the mansion you’ve gifted me. Allowing me to have a legal residence in two countries. Add the adoption and I would have two separate citizenships.”

“Exactly. It also leaves you with the option of hiding the adoption from your family.”

Matilda contemplated this added information. She was going to request that her family remain ignorant of this as much as possible and if the adoption was only registered with the supernatural community, it was unlikely they would find out on their own. After all, the only one that even knew of her creature status was Nana Rose, but even she didn’t have access to records in this world. Still, that didn’t mean she had enough information to actually accept.

She relaxed in her chair and shot Kazuo a hard look, “Clan pressure aside, why offer this?” The what do you gain unsaid yet heavily implied.

Copying her demeanor, “Matilda- _san_ , you are a strong young woman in many ways. In a matter of weeks, you’ll reach adult status in our world even if Mundane Japan won’t recognize that for a number of years. I know that, should you choose to stay here, you’ll gain good connections and status.

“You’ve already claimed my son as Nest, allowing the rest of my immediate family a measure of protection. It is my hope that you’ll accept this adoption and further claim us, even just privately. Even if you decided not to, publicly adopting you will allow your powerful nature to reflect positively on me.”

Raising a brow, “You know it is entirely possible my association with you could leave a negative impact, don’t you?”

He shrugged dismissively, “Your history does not suggest that. You are very well behaved, even when you lose your temper. You care enough for my son not to deliberately embarrass him in public. I have no reason to believe you would do anything to negatively affect our reputation. At least not anything I wouldn’t partially agree with.”

She couldn’t dispute that, she was a surprisingly well-behaved kid according to her mother. And really, nothing he’s said so far has been beyond her expectations. As long as he didn’t expect too much from her, she didn’t really see a reason to disagree.

“I do have a few conditions to agreeing, but first: your terms?”

He relief was nearly blinding, she knew he needed this but damn.

“Most you may have expected; you refrain from intentionally embarrassing me, my family, and the Clan. Act befittingly to your new station: do well in school and dress appropriately. Even if we privately decide otherwise, keep up the appearance of me actually being your father. I will make any announcements on your behalf and you’ll not publicly dispute them. This will include your introduction to society at the ball, your choice of university, and any engagements.

“The other terms depend on your decision to stay in Japan or return to America. I’ll write in the period in which you must decide, likely before you complete any undergraduate degree or your 21st birthday. Should you decide to leave, you’ll not force my son to join you. If you choose to stay, you’ll immediately begin training to manage the family business, at least in part.

“It is my hope for you and Umehito to share it: you the magical side of the business while he cares for mundane operations. You would, of course, receive the full inheritance associated with that branch, including a head position in the Clan.”

Briefly closing her eyes, she mentally groaned in frustration. Taking a deep breath, she tackled one issue at a time.

“Alright. I’ll agree to the more social aspects; I already planned on most of that anyway. I’ll allow you the illusion of control over my life, provided my family learns nothing of this. We will discuss any major decisions or anything directly affecting me before it is announced.

“Should another family wish to create a marriage contract, you’ll inform me as soon as you are able. You may make suggestions and give advice, but any decision will come from me. Of course, you can take credit and act as if the decisions were made by you. The same goes for my education.”

Taking a sip of water from her glass on his desk, “I’ll agree to inform you of my final decision regarding my residence by the final term of my undergraduate pursuit or one month prior to my 21st birthday: whichever occurs first. Umehito already has the option to follow me or stay here. I also made sure to include a dissolution clause in our bond, should we both decide to utilize it.

“I’ll not take anything Kirimi is, or was, supposed to inherit. However, I will agree to share Umehito’s inheritance, provided he be the face of the business. I’m a Shadow Fairy and not an Earth for a reason: I work better out of the spotlight. Not to mention some would frown on giving your business to an American woman.”

She stopped, giving him time to process her counter terms before she brought up her own.

He made several notations on the papers before him before looking back towards her, “That is all fairly reasonable. I appreciate you adding a clause that allows my son to change his mind, not that I think he will.”

She mentally snorted, neither did she, but its best to be prepared for all outcomes.

“You mentioned you had conditions, are there any we have not addressed?”

Giving him a short nod, “You yourself have mentioned that I’m nearly an adult in our world. I am currently a guest in your home, however your family have gifted me one of my own. I am going to completely redo the wards on it. While there and out of the public eye, I expect to be treated as such. You are free to be as familiar and familial as you like, but I’ll not have you dictating my actions there.”

That was a big one for her, after the months spent with her family after her inheritance and the years before, she wouldn’t be a prisoner in her own home, especially when society wasn’t pushing their way in.

“Seeing as you’ve already acknowledged him as my Nest, Umehito is my responsibility as well. You are still his father, but I would like input on things such as his future spouse should he not find another love before his deadline. In the same vein, I’ll not be prevented from seeing or speaking to my family, no matter where I decide to live.

“While I’ll naturally do what I can for your Nest and Clan due to my bond with Ume, I’ll not do anything against my morals or risk to mine in an effort to help them.”

Matilda watched as he thought her terms over, curious about his reaction. She knew it was important to him that she agree more than it was for her. She didn’t actually need the money or prestige carrying his name would grant her. While it could, and would, benefit her at school and in a future career she was perfectly capable of slowly gaining it for herself. And unless she was mistaken, he knew it too.

Resignation coloring his aura, “None of that is unreasonable. I wouldn’t dream of keeping you from your family and especially not your Nest. Considering your bond, it makes sense for you to help decide my son’s future bride. However, I do ask you try to protect my daughter as much as possible, at least until she’s more capable at protecting herself.”

She smiled at him, “I have no issue doing that. Children are important, and I’d protect any as best I could, her especially.”

Relief coating his features, “I appreciate the warning about the wards. I understand why you would want to redo them; I’ll have the security system protocols ready for you to adjust when you do.”

He looked over his papers once again, “That seems to be everything, unless you have anything else?”

Shaking her head, “Nothing else as important. In fact, I see no reason not to agree at this point.”

Beaming in happiness and relief, “Then I believe we’ve reached an accord.”

Smiling back, “We have.”

Major terms and issues aside, the moved onto the more minor details such as names and exact monetary values. Their lawyers would spend the next several days going over everything to both parties’ satisfaction. Should everything go as planned, she would become Nekozawa Matilda in the eyes of the supernatural community in a matter of days.


	7. Home at Last?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matilda readys and protects her new residence.

**Thursday, December 9, 2004**

The next day Matilda found herself at her new home. She wasn’t set to move in until Friday; today she needed to make sure that the rooms Ume had emptied for her were finished and she needed to examine the wards matrix for removal tomorrow.

Wanting to be efficient as possible, she decided to work down and out. First destination: her quarters.

Walking into the suite, she entered her sitting room. The floor stayed the same dark hardwood she had found it as, the only addition being two soft area rugs: one a light gray and the other a deep purple. The room dividers had been changed out for ones made of what appeared to be brushed steel and pale gray paper. Turning about, she noticed the wall with the entrance had been covered with built in bookshelves and cabinets made of gray-stained wood. The two bare walls had been painted a purple tone that was colorful without being overwhelming. She was happy to note the door matched the floor and hadn’t been painted over.

This room was split into two areas. When she walked in, the larger area had been on her right. On top of the purple rug was a two-tiered oval coffee table made of glass and black metal. Two modern leather chairs with brushed steel frames sat on either side of a small matching couch. Across from the couch, in the built-ins, was an electric fireplace with one of those mirror TVs above it. Peeking in the cabinets, she was happy to note the hidden mini-fridge she requested had been installed.

No need to call a maid for midnight drinks now!

The other portion of the room was probably her favorite. The most gorgeous and comfortable looking rocking chair rested on the gray rug. With the small end table and overhanging lamp, late night reading couldn’t get much better.

Resisting the urge to sit and never get up, she looked around the room once more. The designers did a wonderful job pulling the conflicting spaces together. They had picked out a number of accent pillows and blankets; her favorite being the one on the rocking chair that resembled a silver rose. The shelves remained mostly bare, but that was something she could tend to over time after settling in.

Opening the room divider, she stepped into her bedroom proper.

It was a Slytherin’s dream.

The dividers matched both rooms thankfully, though the ones in front of her closet had deep green paper instead of gray. The hardwood continued into this room, though most of it was covered by a plush black carpet, allowing her to walk around barefoot. The wall opposite the dividers was a matte silver. She had originally wanted it to shine as the light from the windows couldn’t reach it. However, Umehito had talked her out of that, saying the window may not cast light on it, but the lamps on her nights stands certainly could. The two remaining walls were a Celtic green, partially to stick with the theme but also to reflect on her lineage.

The room itself was fairly bare. Right between the windows was the biggest bed she could find, allowing her to curl up in the duvet and blankets as much as she pleased. It was sitting in a cherry four-poster frame equipped with sheer silver curtains and green velvet blackout ones. The windows were also equipped with both pairs. On either side of the bed were ornately carved cherry nightstands topped with black glass. A matching vanity set was placed next to the closet.

Happy with what she saw, she peeked into the bathroom. It didn’t appear any different, which wasn’t a problem for her. The fixtures had been changed for similar models, really just exchanging their shine for a brushed finish. Everything was black or gray marble…granite…whatever it was. Hopefully they could get more color in there when all the towels and whatnot was added.

Satisfied with her quarters for now, she headed to her study. She didn’t really understand the difference between an office and a study. Someone told her that a study was a mini library, but if she had one of those upstairs and a reading nook in her room, she didn’t really understand the need for it. When she told Umehito this, he told her to think of a study as a more private office. It was where she could do research, study, or what have you, without constant interruption. Her office was more for more private meetings that don’t take place at her place of work or another’s home.

She thought that was a little ridiculous but went along with it anyway. Not really invested, she just peeked inside making sure that the right furniture was in there and in a decent placement. She could always change it later. Doing the same for the office, she was pleased to note everything was in its proper place. For both rooms she had gone for comfort for chairs and function for everything else. Honestly, both rooms were nearly identical without the electronics put in. the only difference was the study has a gothic design while the office was more modern chic.

Wanting to get this over with and back to the main house, she stepped back outside to deal with the wards.

The first thing she noted when seeing them was that they were ostentatious and attention grabbing. The second was the distinct lack of wards on the structures. Really, what idiot designed these? If she hadn’t already planned to remove them, she would have after seeing them.

She couldn’t help but hope these were temporary, having been put up after Umehito decided to give the place to her. There wasn’t even anything clever in them that she wanted to salvage or recreate!

Shaking her head, she started walking around the perimeter to get a mental image of where she wanted to place the temporary matrix she had brought with her. Thankfully it didn’t take too long considering she would have to do this several time over again the next day.

Perimeter determined, she walked as close to the property’s center as she could without re-entering the building. Once there she took out the little spherical toy container. Focusing on the path she walked in her mind, she pictured the wards following it. Opening the sphere, the magic tangle jumped out and stretched itself over the existing ward structure.

Matilda took a moment to make sure it was properly secured. It was where she wanted it, not that it would last too long. It was a stop gap measure, something to keep her and the property safe as she worked and to prevent others from entering until she was finished. As it was, it would last a week unless she removed it before then, more than enough time to remove and replace the current ward matrix.

Pleased with her progress, she left, eager to start her first real lesson with Umehito.

* * *

Matilda followed Umehito into the shooting range in the basement. The room was far from traditional. For one thing, it was dimly lit; with their respective light sensitivities they could see better in the dark then they could with lights on, but the room needed some light for any that stumbled upon their lesson. While it did possess three lanes with targets at the far end, most of the room was empty space presumably for practicing transitioning to a close fight to a long-distance target. Against one wall was a table and a few chairs.

Umehito had returned from school before she came back from her place, using the time to cover the table with a multitude of knives and shuriken. They ranged in size from a pin one would use in sewing to a hunting knife almost as large as her arm.

“Since you’ll be exerting yourself a lot over the next few days, we aren’t going to have a long and strenuous lesson. You’ve finished the reading I gave you, right?”

She nodded, he had given her a few books and manuals the day his mother asked him to teach her. Some had about the history and use of shuriken and other throwing knifes while others taught her of various techniques used with them.

“Good. Then you can identify most of these. Today we will go over how to hold each of these. You won’t actually be throwing any yet, just getting a feel for their weight. After we’re done, you’ll choose a few that we’ll focus on first. Eventually you’ll be able to use any of these in a pinch, but we are going to start with three.”

They spent the next hour and a half going through them all. Matilda was glad she had taken it easy earlier, this was a lot of information to process at once.

One by one Ume handed her a weapon and had her hold it for a moment to gain a feel for it. When she had a decent grasp on the weapon itself, he guided her into the proper stance to hold and throw it. While nothing was flung from her grasp, she was shown the proper way to move her arm for each projectile.

It was tedious work, but she enjoyed it. Between Umehito’s calm teaching (dark enthusiasm aside) and the repetitive motions she found herself relaxing. By the time they were finished, she had grown confident in herself and her growing abilities.

Returning the last blade to the table, “Do you know which three you want to learn first?”

Matilda looked over the table again think each item over. She wanted to cover all her bases: something easily concealed (but preferably legal), something more practical, and something with an unusual shape. In the end she found her first three weapons. For practicality, she chose a folding knife that fit well in her hand. Fully extended, it was about four inches or ten centimeters, the blade being half the full length. She chose small needles for her concealed weapons: they could fit in her pocket sewing kit when not in use and wasn’t illegal to have it most situations. The third projectile was a more traditional throwing star with four points. She didn’t think she’d use it in real life but learning how to use it would enable her to improvise more.

Seeing her selections, Umehito began clearing the others away.

“Not bad choices Maeve. Those should be fairly easy to learn and will provide a good base for learning the others. Although we might have to ask Honey- _kun_ and Takashi- _kun_ to help. I know the basics for all of these, but I’m really only suited for the actual knives. If you want to progress past the basics with the others, we might need their help.”

Shrugging that off to be dealt with another time, she started helping him carry the weapons to the vault in the connecting room. They had plenty of time to figure that out later. She needed to put the finishing touches on her ward plans first.

* * *

**Friday, December 10, 2004**

Matilda stood outside her property with Kazuo following lunch with their lawyers in the city proper. As he needed to go with her to check the progress of the documents before Sunday, he decided to help her remove the current matrix. While it was his brother that had set up the current wards, he had the power to remove them, allowing Matilda to conserve her energy for constructing her matrix.

They stood at the gate, checking on the temporary structure she had put up the day before. She looked closely with her second sight, happy to note they were just as strong as the day before, no damage to be seen.

With her permission, Kazuo looked over them himself. She hid a smirk when she saw incredulity enter his aura.

He swallowed, “Well, seeing what you have here, I’m less worried about you changing things. You said this was a temporary matrix?”

“Mhmm.” She hummed while her hand hovered over the dome of energy.

“It’s a simplified version of what I have planned. The final product will have more layers for more offensive and defensive options.”

He shook himself in disbelief, “And here I was planning to offer to create a matrix for you. I might have you redo ours at some point, or at least add to them. These are much subtler.”

Matilda shrugged, “I’d wait. At least see the finished project before you start planning. You might find you don’t like what you see. And subtler is the goal. No offense, but what was already here is a mess. And counterproductive.”

“None taken, they were a bit sloppy. But what do you mean counterproductive?”

Moving inside the security outbuilding so Kazu could get to work, “Well think about it. Wards are meant to shield and protect. You protect valuable things yes, but the more attention you give those protections, the more others notice. The more people notice, the more likely greed is to overtake someone and entice them to attack. You really want to protect something, the less attention you bring to it.”

He followed her and started untying the magical warding from the security system. “I’m not sure I follow. Are you saying not to protect it the best you can?”

Watching him work in fascination, “No, I’m saying that you don’t make it interesting. You have two priceless paintings: one in a solid gold frame that you lock in a vault every time you leave, the other in a wooden frame that never leaves your wall. The majority of people would prepare themselves to break into the vault to steal the one with the gold frame. Someone might try to steal the other one, thinking it looked nice and was an easier target. Of course, they’re unprepared for the electric shock they get when it leaves the wall and for the silent alarm they set off.”

“Ah. So, between our homes, mine seems more valuable and worth the effort needed to remove or break the wards. Yours doesn’t seem like a fruitful target and an attacker would only think to disable the alarm, if they even thought to do that. Very few would think you were anything other than a foolish woman. Clever.”

Finishing with the electrical components, she watched as he began unraveling the other wards. “Eh, I’ve told you before: I’m a Shadow Fairy for a reason. I’ve always had a proclivity for illusions and misdirection. Not to mention I’m just as vicious as any Earth in protecting what’s mine.”

“True enough. Would you mind if I stayed to watch?” He asked once he was finished with his task.

Matilda stared him down. She didn’t particularly want someone she didn’t full trust knowing how her wards were constructed. However, he could tie some of the wards to the system for her and watch her back while she worked. She could always tweak a few things, not to mention he wouldn’t be staying when she added the inner matrix.

“Alright. It’s going to take some time though, and you won’t be able to leave until I’m finished, the temporary system will lock down everything once I start.”

He didn’t seem to mind that, probably planning this from the beginning. Whatever, once he agreed to stay several feet away from her at all times and to not interfere with her casting, she got to work.

She sent a pulse to the only wards currently on the property, locking her in with only Kazuo while the driver and Mika waited outside the gates in the car.

Shedding her coat and boots, she transformed, her Fairy form providing some measure of protection against the chill even while barefoot. Heading outside and beginning another trek around the perimeter, she focused on the land beneath her feet.

She felt around for some consciousness or spirit of the land, projecting her intention to protect her new home and the land it resided on, asking for permission to lay down wards. Technically, this wasn’t necessary, but doing it would help. Less chance of ward failure when the land accepted your presence.

It took a whole pass before she felt as if something was listening. The second time around she focused on making her plea more specific. Letting the land know she wasn’t taking it away from the Nekozawas’ who had guarded it for years. She was becoming one and hoped to protect the one that would be living with her sometimes.

Just as she was about to start the third pass, she felt a response. The land had judged her and found her worthy. It would hold her magic and lend its strength. But with this acceptance came a warning: don’t betray her Nekozawa, if she did, her wards would fall.

Matilda thanked the land for its help and showed it the promise she had made Umehito along with the love and loyalty she felt for him. Sensing pleasure and more acceptance, she started creating her matrix.

One by one, she started to weave her desires and intention into energy, energy that was grasped by the earth and pulled deep within it to the caverns below the house. At least now she would know where to find the central ward stone. The strands encompassed the property as she walked, the earth aiding her and wrapping it around as she worked, allowing her to make fewer passes.

First, she weaved uninterest: those looking around would only see more of the surrounding area unless specifically seeking out the inhabitants. Second, she cloaked them, hiding them from those that would do them harm. She added wariness for those that persisted when they shouldn’t. Layer by layer she shielded the land, adding defenses and attacks for those that earned them and creating passages for those she welcomed or had no reason to bar. Layer by layer the strands of magic wove around each other, in and out, over and under, until it became an invisible fabric. Safe and comforting for those under it, hard and unforgiving for those that wished to intrude.

Several exhausting hours later, she trudged back to the gates. Grabbing one of the threads of the temporary system, she pulled, causing he entire thing to unravel and dissolve.

Of course, this caused Kazuo to look at her in shock as he exited the security post, “You’re joking! They were that easy to take down?”

Tired and not really caring at this point but logically knowing he feared for his son’s safety again, “Built in internal failsafe. When I created them, I figured I’d be too exhausted to lower them properly.”

Mollified, he opened the gates to let the car in, giving them a quicker route to the house. Mika prepared a much-needed snack which Matilda scarfed down before passing out on the couch, beyond caring at that point.

Soon enough nightfall arrived, reenergizing her and waking her up. Knowing she still had work to do, she got up, noticing a covered tray with a note on the table in front of her.

Reading it, she was pleased to learn the at Mika had prepared another snack and dinner for her and readied her quarters for the night before leaving with Kazuo. At least now she didn’t need worry about anyone interrupting her. Quickly, she ate the meal in front of her and fully stretched.

It was time to get to work once again.

She was a little sad that she had slept so long, she had hoped to see Umehito for a bit before nightfall. No matter how much she trusted him, they both agreed that it was safer for her to create the interior wards without anyone around. Something she was rather relieved about, considering Kazuo had witnessed the exterior wards’ creation.

As it was, she wouldn’t see him until Sunday morning at the earliest due to his New Moon plans with the rest of the Black Magic Club. Matilda would be doing her own rites that night and could use the day of rest after all the rigorous energy-work she was currently doing.

Shaking herself out of it, she walked to the center of the structure to add the base matrix, scanning the property with her second sight as she did. Sensing nothing amiss and no other presences, she started weaving once more.

Bit by bit, she weaved strands of spells into the walls, attaching them to the studs and anchoring them to the ward stone she had brought with her. Many of these base layers were variations of those in the exterior matrix, tweaked just enough to seem different to the untrained eye.

Once those were in place, she started on the more specific layers, including one that would let her restrict access to the building as a whole and another that could eject those that maliciously attacked her. These she wove into and between the other layers, making them harder to spot and untangle.

Centralized matrix finished, she moved onto creating the room-based subsystems. Different rooms would have different combinations of wards, but all the rooms she had customized so far would have the most in common. They would have several layers to prevent snooping and eavesdropping as well as restricting access even greater. For her study, bedroom, and ritual room, she, Mika, and Ume would be the only ones able to enter. But not even Mika would be able to enter the latter, Matilda being unwilling to risk another contaminating her work space. If this meant she would have to clean several spaces herself so be it, it’s not like she hadn’t done so before.

By the time she had finished all she needed to get down before the staff arrived, in was the early hours of the morning. Exhausted, she shuffled to the kitchen to find the snack Mika had prepared for her. Upon arriving she saw a second covered tea tray on the small table in the breakfast nook. Sitting down to eat, she found a folded letter sticking out from under it. Opening the tray, she found several finger sandwiches, magically chilled juice, and a bottle of water.

Happily munching away at her snack, she opened the letter. It was a note from Kazuo explaining that he had set the alarm as he left and how she could control the system. It was fairly simple instructions only covering arming, disarming, and how to use the panic button. He also said that he would show her the entire system when he returned Sunday.

Glad that was over, she finished her food and drink and headed upstairs for a quick shower and what she hoped was restful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things got away from me a bit there... Oh well.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to comment with suggestions or constructive criticism. Don't be afraid to point out typos, sometimes I don't notice them before I post.


End file.
